With 8 weeks to go until I'm on a beach, of course my thoughts turned to shaping up. I hadn't really thought much about it, I was just planning to go on SlimFast for a few weeks and try to be better behaved about treats.

But when I got to work and mentioned what I was up to, a couple of colleagues mentioned that they'd had really good results using the 5:2 or 'Fast Diet'.

I looked it up and it seemed so easy, I decided then and there to give it a go, and I'm going to keep a log of my progress here to review the diet and hopefully keep me on track!

What is the 5:2 Diet?

You have probably seen a lot of recent coverage about this new restricted eating sensation. But there's really not much to it. Sometimes called 'intermittent fasting', the only rules are that two days a week, you eat a quarter of your usual recommended calorie intake. In most cases for women, this is about 500 calories - although this can vary according to your activity levels etc. These can be any two dayes you like - consecutive, or spaced out during the week. The rest of the time you just eat normally (although I suspect going overboard is still going to cancel any benefits out). The diet was invented by a medical journalist -  you can find out more at www.thefastdiet.co.uk

How does it work?

Obviously, you are lowering your overall calorie intake, which always helps! But the authors claim that intermittent fasting keeps your metabolic rate in high gear all the time, which means you burn fat a lot faster. The diet confuses the metabolism and helps it burn off more calories.

How do you do it?

You can buy The Fast Diet book from Amazon and other bookshops. And it contains lots of good recipes to help you through your 'fast' days. But although I am considering buying the book if I think the diet is working for me, mostly there's no trick to it. You can start from nothing. Just make a decision to do it and stick to it. You are told to avoid refined carbs on your fasting days- but only because they use up your calorie allowance quickly. High quality protein, fruit and veg is the best way to go on fasting days. Again, there are no rules about how to get those 500 on restricting days. One big meal, three smaller ones-  whatever you can stick to, as long as it doesn't go over your limit.

Why am I doing it?

I'd like to lose a few pounds in time to hit the beach, but I'll be brutally honest here. I'm lazy, and I don't have lots of willpower. I'm notoriously bad at sticking to things. And I sort of new my SlimFast diet would fail after a week. But I've decided to try the 5:2 because, for once, I genuinely believe I can stick to it. In fact, the only reason I'm making it public on this blog is because this is the first time I think I'm in with a shot of being on a diet I don't break!

The fact that its so simple- I can't be bothered to count points and I know cutting out food groups only makes me want them more. But this is so easy its ridiculous. If you want something badly enough, you only have to wait until the next day to have it- which even my scanty willpower will stretch to.

The fact that no food is 'banned'- friends have told me that even when they're craving something on a fast day, often by the next day when they can have it, they don't even want it anymore! I loathe feeling restricted, so the thought of being able to have a little of what I fancy works for me.

Its only two days a week -  even I can manage that. And if you mess up one day? Normally I use that as excuse to fall off the wagon. But with the 5:2 diet its not a problem- as long as you get those two days in. It also means if there's a special occaision you don't have to miss out by dieting- just do it the next day.

Plus actual people I know (not just magazine testimonials) have told me it really works for them and that they found it fairly easy to stick to.

My body, My willpower

My body is not brilliant. I could certainly stand to use a few pounds, but I'm not really overweight. My BMI is mid-range for my height but I have a bit of a belly etc. I exercise moderately (2-3 times a week) although I could do more. I don't watch what I eat, but I also don't eat a lot of processed foods etc, because I like cooking from scratch. I'm just thoroughly average, with terrible willpower. In an ideal world, I'd be ten pounds lighter, but I don't lose weight easily unless I'm very restrictive. Before my wedding I cut out all carbs and did military fitness bootcamp and I still barely lost a pound, which was extremely discouraging as its the one time I genuinely tried to stick to something. I get impatient without immediate results (my brain is unfortunately very short-term focused- I'm a sprinter, not a marathon runner!). I feel like my body is quite happy at the weight I'm at and forcing it to go lower is a massive effort that doesn't seem proportional to the weight loss I get! But I think this could be my chance to prove I can do it.

What else?

In addition to the diet, I'm going to try to avoid treats even on my 'normal' days, apart from the weekends, which I find too hard to be strict on. I'm planning to split up my two days so that my shonky willpower doesn't run out! I will chose the days randomly each week to suit me and what's going on in my life, but generally I think Mondays will be good (post-weekend excess) and maybe Thursdays (close enough to weekend excess not to get discouraged!).

I'm also going to make a big effort to drink more water in general. I have kidney problems and get dehydrated a lot of the time, but I still don't drink enough water! I'll try to keep a bottle on my desk and drink it during the day while I'm working. I will try to only drink black coffee, herbal tea and water during the day, and limit my Diet Cokes to 2 cans a week, max!

I'll also be trying to up my exercise and do a few more weights. I'll try to exercise every day except one, although what I do will be different. A mix of gym sessions, at home toning exercises using an iPhone app, and running outside. Perhaps a few classes or DVDs at home.

I'll be reporting back on how I'm finding it etc and trying to stay motivated on here! I may not get a body like the Angels above, even after losing lots of weight, but dammit, for once I'm going to try!

Call it recession chic, call it inventive genius, but just lately, there seems to be a surge in shoe jewellery, or pieces that let you customise and refresh your old shoes. I love a bit of a reinvention of old favourites, so I'm all for this trend. Here are a couple of great pieces I've found recently....

Clip On Neon Jewels at H&M

I found these brilliant, neon-yellow chunky jewels in the clearance section of H&M recently and they've been rocking my world. They're mounted on a little butterfly clip that you secure onto your shoes to transform them with a shot of neon from hmmm to hello...


Here they are livening up my old nude Amore court shoes from Ted Baker, but I think they'd work equally well with an open-toed sandal. I've also attached one onto a long chain to make a fab neon pendant! I love things with multiple uses. And you could also clip them onto bracelets, hair ties and even handbags to luxe them up. Love!

Gold Ankle Cuffs from eBay

I noticed these when they were featured as a trend in a magazine, but the best part is you can pick these up for about £1.49 each on eBay (just search 'gold ankle cuff'). A few designers- notably Prada and Chloe- have featured real metal detailing on shoes in recent seasons. Its a futuristic trend I liked straight away, but although the high street was quick to follow, they invariably used metallic leather in place of real metal, which disappointed me. So when I saw these, I was quick to pounce!

They have a simple catch and you can fit them easily on top of any ankle strap shoe for a modern look. I customized this pair of black stilettos with transparent side-panels by replacing the ankle staps with a twist of black, grosgrain ribbon crossed over at the ankle, ballet-shoe style, and my gold ankle cuffs. This look will look hot on into autumn and winter too.

Hi Dolls!

Isn't it fabulous that summer has finally made a long-overdue appearance? I'm so enjoying the sunshine, although it seems weird that there was snow on the ground what seems like only a few weeks ago. I'm absolutely loving morning coffee in the garden and eating watermelon. And we've finally booked a holiday in September, so we'll be off to Portinatx in Ibiza (the quiet bit of the island!), which I'm so excited for. Here a few of the things that are currently rocking my world....

L'Oreal Studio Line Matt & Messy Salt Spray

Normally, I am a fan of poker-straight locks. It's not the coolest style around, but I think it suits me and its easy to do. But lately (must be the sunshine), I've really been craving messy, beachy bed head hair, so I invested in this spray. I must say, its nice to be giving my hair a break from the GHDs for once, and I think it looks a bit cooler as well. After washing and drying, I just scrunch in some of this, pull my hair back into a messy knot, and when I release it, I've got that undone looking texture. This is a great product for getting that laid-back, summer look.

Topshop Lips in 'Ooh La La'

To be honest, me and Toppers fell out in a big way a while back, and I haven't been in there for quite a while. They just seemed to be going all out for that hipster, wearing ugly granny clothes in an 'ironic' way thing....which is not my style at all. I much prefer pulled-together, sleek looking clothes...I guess I want to look 'expensive' rather than full-on fashion. If I could only choose one shop to shop at, it would be Zara. So yeah...Topshop went down this ironic fashion path that scared the beejeezus out of me, so I just stopped going. But lately, things seem to have changed and last time I went in there I was back to wanting to buy everything in sight! I'd actually never tried their make-up before, and I usually don't have a great opinion of clothing store make-up. It usually seems like a lazy afterthought they've just slapped a name on. But this totally doesn't seem to be the case with Topshop make-up, after trying out a few of the products, I'm hooked. Since I bought this lipstick, I've worn it pretty much every day, which is not at all like me! It's such a summery, fluoro coral, but somehow its not too OTT. J'adore!

These amazing shoes...

Are my current favourites! I must admit, I'm a fan of foot comfort and I'm always on the lookout for flats that are pretty enough to be worn out in the evening. I think these are! The leopard print, the clear side panels, the almond shape pointed toe...they're just great! And you'll just die when I say where they're from...George at Asda!! They cost the grand old sum of £10. I actually saw them in Look magazine. I didn't think they'd actually have them in stock, but they did. I always wrote supermarket fashion off as a bit mumsy, but these have made me think again. I will now be having a sneaky peek at their stuff when I go in to pick up my groceries!

This Outfit...

Which is going to be the inspiration for my next night out outfit! I have a bright coral bandage skirt that I've never worn. I love the colour, but it looks a bit 'obvious' somehow, and I've never really known how to style it. But I think I've worked out that the key here is a sloppy white vest, half untucked, and possibly a denim shirt tied at the waist! Oh yeah, I'm going full on K-Stew here. I'm going to grunge that bad boy up and see how it looks. Pairing it with loose, sloppy items takes some of the 'barbie' out of it, while still allowing the colour and shape to shine. Love!

Seeing old friends...

....And meeting new ones!

Hi Dolls!

I've never really done outfit postings, because a) I don't consider myself very fashionable and b) I'm usually having such a good time I forget to take proper photos!

But I do love seeing 'real girl' fashion postings. Although I love glossy magazine shoots, the clothes and the model bodies are so perfect and untouchable. I find it so much more inspiring that overly-manicured magazine shoots, knowing that a normal person has put the outfit together. So I thought I would have a go at doing outfit posts myself for once. Apologies for the photographs, they're not the best quality as they were all taken with my iPhone, and after the shots had come out!

I travelled up to Manchester this weekend to visit one of my oldest friends, and another friend came up from London to join us. I've known these girls since I was at nursery school and that's so magic. Even if we don't see each other for ages, when we do meet up its like we've never been apart. We have such a bond and a shared sense of humour- I haven't laughed as hard for ages as I did this weekend. We went out for cocktails and dancing and had an utterly brilliant time, eventually crawling home at 4 in the morning...

I wasn't sure when I was packing how dressed up everyone was getting, so I tried to put together an outfit that would fit a few different situations.

Black leather leggings - Missguided

These have become such a staple in my wardrobe, they just go with everything, from oversized slouchy sweaters to floaty vests. As it was raining and pretty crap weather (despite being the longest day of the summer!), these were perfect.

Black bandeau top - eBay

I sourced this on eBay - where I get a lot of my clothes these days, actually- to go under low vests, but wearing under my shirt dress meant I covered up under the sheer fabric, while still showing a veiled hint of skin for evening.

Grey long-tailed shirt dress - River Island

I love this shirt dress, I got it a while ago in the sale and its one of the most quirky, 'fashion' pieces in my quite straight-laced wardrobe! Its great over leggings or over an LBD. I felt really comfortable and trendy in this, which is great because Manchester is one of those cities where a lot of people look extremely fashion-y, so I always feel I have to try harder there!

Black plaited double strand belt - Miss Selfridge

The shirt dress can be a bit shapeless if you don't cinch it in a bit at the waist, and this plaited, black leather belt gives a casual, undone edge just knotted and looped.

Black and bronze gladiator sandals -  Office

I have absolutely worn these sandals to death. Literally. They are actually starting to fall apart, but I can't bring myself to let go. They're so intricate and unusual but actually really comfortable. I love to dance when I go out and I can't stand my feet to hurt so unfortunately, comfort is one of my main considerations when it comes to clubbing footwear!

Black, white and gold multi-strand necklace - Topshop

This was an impulse purchase on the day. My friend lives near the Trafford Centre, so we couldn't resist a quick wander round. I'm a massive fan of Toppers' quirky accessories. This necklace spoke my name as soon as I saw it, I think it will go with loads of outfits in my wardrobe.

Lately, some new skin products have come into my life that have been rocking my world. I've sort of overhauled my skincare routine for summer and I'm totally loving the results.

I try to switch up my skin products from time to time, just like I never use the same shampoo twice in a row- because if your skin or hair gets too 'used' to a product, it stops being as beneficial.

These products are all fairly new to me but I've already repurchased some of them.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

This is a fairly new launch that comes as part of the drugstore giants revamped line of cleansers, and I'm so impressed. I'm already on my third bottle! For years now, I've used cleansing wipes to take the day's make-up off, followed with toner. This product has completely replaced both of those for me. It's an absolute magnet for make up residue, and even the most stubborn products just slide off without loads of scrubbing. It's hassle free and leaves my face soft, clean and glowing in one sweep. I use a facewash after (still NSpa Hot Cloth Polish, no change there!) and usually there would still be a lot of make-up coming off on the cloth, but with Skin Perfection there's no leftover residue. I love it and its totally replaced my old cleanser and toner combo. At £7.99, it won't break the bank but performs like a far more pricey product. Currently on a 2 for £6 offer at Superdrug, get in!

Beauty Friends Bee Venom Mask

I've mentioned before how I'm a big fan of these Korean paper face masks that come infused with a skin-boosting solution, even if they do make you look like a burns victim when you wear them! I bulk order them via eBay and will usually put one on in my Sunday night gearing-up-for-the-week bath. I've always used the Collagen ones and really liked them, but as everyone from Millie Mackintosh (my skin icon) to the Duchess of Cambridge is reported to be using bee venom facial products, I thought I'd give them a go. This has sorted my fine lines out a treat!

Optimum Advanced Firm and Lift Perfecting Serum

This little winner is a totally amazing budget buy, and it all came about by accident. Generally, I buy all my drugstore products in Boots. I like their range, I'm fanatical about collecting their points. I haven't been into their major rival, Superdrug for years. But maybe that's all about to change, because I happened to pop in there a few weeks back and was really impressed with what they stocked and how good their deals were. In addition, I threw this £4.99 serum into my basket, not exporting much, and have been really pleasantly surprised. It packs a peptide-powered punch, and I've been using it day and night -at this price, there's no need to feel guilty about slathering it on- and I think it's made a real difference to my fine lines. I'm really impressed with this skincare line!

Naked Truth Facial Rehydration Fluid

I was a bit hesitant about including this product, because although I love it, I've since discovered the line has been discontinued. Sad face! No wonder it was going for £6.99 instead of the usual £15.99. Should have bought the whole shelf! I will admit it was the packaging that initially drew my attention. It looks similar to the Urban Decay Naked palette so I thought it might be from them, but it's not. It's a line developed by dermatologist Dr Darren Mckeown. From the interviews I can find on the web, he seems to be really involved with the line rather than just lending his name and has even contacted beauty bloggers writing about the line personally to address their concerns. This moisturiser is really light and smoothing and I'm so enjoying using it with its neat pump action bottle, it's a shame that when it runs out I'll have to find a replacement. Although the range promises sun protection and anti-aging skin goodies, the packaging, although very pretty, doesn't specify what exactly these are. A really light, lovely product that's nourishing but not too heavy for summer skin.

Cocoa Therapy Skin Oil

This has been the secret weapon giving me a glow lately! You wouldn't neccessarily think of an oil as a replacement for night cream, especially when your skin tends to be a bit oily itself in the summer. However, using this absolutely doesn't make your skin greasy. It's very light and extremely hydrating. A dab massaged into the skin just before bed has wiped out the persistent fine lines on my forehead. I first bought this to deal with some skin damage on my legs and then started using the leftover residue on my face and hands at night. Once I saw the effects, it became an obsession. This smells of chocolate as well! You look a bit shiny straight after applying, but in the morning it's melted in leaving nourished, gorgeous skin. This is definitely my new little secret!

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream for Oily Skin

So, my skin is a little more towards the oily side in summer, but not so much it's a problem. I've been using the regular Garnier BB Cream for a while so I tried this new variant for a change. It's so different to the regular version that its almost misleading to call it the same product! The formula is a lot runnier and a lot more opaque- it genuinely passes as a proper foundation and gives a much higher coverage that lasts all day. I don't need to add anything, whereas with the regular variant I need foundation and powder as well. It's more of an all in one solution. If you're switching from the regular one, its also worth noting that the shades play out quite differently. Despite having a golden skintone, the 'medium' shade in the regular cream is way too dark on me, so I always use the 'light' variant. But in the oily version, 'light' really means just that and I can barely get away with it, so bare that in mind if you're switching over. This oily line is a much superior product and much more of a full-service product that can replace your foundation, unlike the original which is more like a tinted moisturiser. Mineral pigments and ultra-absorbent perlite give a flawless, lasting finish, it had SPF 20 and 'blurs the appearance of imperfections'.

And there you have it, my new summer skin saviours giving me a glow this sunny season :)

Hi my lovelies!

A while ago, I did a posting on the outfits I was planning to take for a weekend in Paris. That was quite a while ago, and we haven't had many jollies since then. But last week, we went down to London for some fun and games.

It's the city I'm originally from, but despite travelling extensively all over Europe when he was small, the Mr has, shockingly, never been there! So, we did the tourist thing in a big way. Hitting up some of the big museums during the day (the Mr wanted to stalk round the Natural History Museum pretending to be David Attenborough), and the antiques market at Covent Garden. Then in the evening we went for dinner and the opera (La Boheme), which I was really excited for. I'd never been to an opera before, and it was a great one to start with, very accessible and also surprisingly funny! We stayed in Chelsea, and despite me making the Mr take a really long walk all the way from Imperial Wharf down to Fulham and Ealing Broadway tub station, I didn't manage to spot any of the cast from Made In Chelsea, one of my favourite shows. I had to content myself with a latte in the Bluebird cafe, pretending I was one of the extras!

As with our Paris trip, there's always a challenge around what to wear and pack. My clothes had got to be comfortable, seeing as we were walking around and getting on and off the Tube all day. Everything I packed had also got to be light, seeing as I was carrying everything around with me most of the time. It also had to all fit into the amazing 2-in-1 black leather tote I took with me. This  bag worked really well, as I kept my 'essentials' (wallet, keys, mobile, sunglasses) in the smaller pouch, which I wore as a cross-body bag. Since then its come in super handy for work, as well. Here was what I wore and took with me:

Day One

Blue skinnies -  Topshop
Grey marl sheer t-shirt - H&M
Navy plimsolls -  Primark
Necklace - House of Harlow
Rose gold boyfriend watch -  Michael Kors
Quilted leather jacket with metallic embroidery -  Zara
Feather print silk scarf - Cynthia Rowley
Black leather weekend tote - eBay (I wrote about this bag in my post 'Are 2-in-1 bags the way forward?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night

Little black dress with drop shoulders -  Reiss
Freshwater pearl necklace -  a present from my Mr
Black patent sandals with metal spike heel -  Kurt Geiger
Silver bangle with tanzanite stone -  Azendi
Grey snakeskin pouch clutch bag -  KG by Kurt Geiger

On Day two, I just replaced my grey t-shirt with a white and grey striped from Reiss, to cut down on clothing changes.



And what's in my weekend bag?

I love mini sized anything, and go crazy for the small versions of toiletries you get -  so handy! Everything I took was scaled down and all fitted into this little pouch:

Toiletries in white mesh pouch, from Muji

Colgate 2-in-1 Whitening Toothpaste and Mouthwash
Schwarzkopf Got2Be Powderful Hair Volumising Powder - this game my hair volume in the evening, and doubled for use as a dry shampoo)
Nivea Pearl & Beauty mini deodorant
Umberto Giannini Catwalk Beauty mini hairspray
Aromatherapy Associates Balance body lotion
Aromatherapy Associates Relax body wash 
i-Care Eye Make Up Remover Pads
Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream
Lancome Renergie Yeux Dual Eye Cream
Garnier Light Daily Moisturiser SPF 15
Murad Essential-C Cleanser
Charles Worthington Takeaways On The Go Serum
Folding travel toothbrush, also from Muji

Multi-tasking Make-up essentials, in 'Glamourous Gabbi' small make-up bag, from Benefit

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector
Avon Magix Face Perfector
L'Oreal Matte Magique foundation
Chanel Poudre Universelle pressed powder
Herve Leger Femme travel perfume (in silver atomiser)
Active Cosmetics 'Attraction' false lashes
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in 'Rebelle'
L'Oreal False Lash Flutter mascara
Primark Beauty Liquid Eyeliner
Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal -black
Benefit High Brow
MeMeMe Cosmetics Arch Angel (tinted brow mascara and highlighter)
Girls With Attitude Hypoallergenic Lash Glue
L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Blush
NYX The Runway Collection eyeshadow pallettes in 'Casting Call' (darks) and 'Caviar and Bubbles' (nudes)
Vaseline Lip Therapy Pink Bubbly
Mac Matte Bronzer
Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener
Mac Matte eyeshadow (Charcoal Brown) (to fill in my brows)
MeMeMe Cosmetics Dew Pots in 'Hollow Haze' (this is actually a cream eyeshadow, but I use it as a highlighter for evening)


All in all, we had a great time and my stuff was light enough that carting it around all day didn't get too heavy! I said before I didn't have the 'packing light' gene, but perhaps I'm learning after all!